Our projects
We’ve been out and about in Rotherham communities for over ten years delivering creative projects. This page gives you a flavour of some of our work.
We have designed and delivered hundreds of projects over the years. If you have an idea you want to develop or if you need some inspiration to get creative in your community then get in touch. We’d love to talk to you!
Light up the Night
Light up the Night saw 1000’s of local people come together in a celebration of light in Ferham Park. In the lead up to the event we worked with schools, local community groups, youth groups and residents to create lanterns and artworks that culminated in a parade of colour and light through the park.
Alongside international artists and artworks, such as Colourscape’s ‘Blowing in the Wind’, the Ferham community and local schools came together to celebrate the winter. The event included live music, local dance troops, stalls, funfair rides and more for all to enjoy.
The project was born after listening to the Ferham community’s needs and gave us a chance to use the park at a time when many people felt it was unsafe to do so. We took the opportunity to co-create a new perspective on what the local park was for.
The project was supported and funded by Rotherham Council, Public Health England, Building Stronger Communities, Community Fund and local councillors’ Community Leadership Fund.
Creative Communities
With thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund we rolled out a creative programme in schools across Rotherham during the Covid-19 pandemic. The workshops gave young people a voice and a chance to express how they felt throughout the pandemic. We used the arts to support young people’s social and emotional wellbeing. We used the arts as a therapeutic tool to engage young people, enabling them to articulate their emotions and fears while helping them to make sense of the world around them. From street dance, visual arts and mindfulness, we created safe spaces for young people in the middle of a global pandemic.
“Absolutely brilliant atmosphere at the school this week, thanks to your hard work and coordination. I have heard nothing but positive feedback for all the sessions delivered to date.”
Headteacher at Eastwood Village Primary School
Demonstration of thanks
To help give thanks in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic to those that helped us during these difficult times, we were commissioned by Rotherham Council to deliver a showcase of appreciation. From our neighbours to shopkeepers, the NHS and frontline workers, we invited communities to a day of demonstration at Clifton Park Museum to show our appreciation to those who have made a difference to our lives during the pandemic. Communities were encouraged to draw up messages of thanks and support and take part in a ‘demonstration of thanks’ from the museum to the town centre where artworks came together to create a wall of colour.
South Yorkshire Community Foundation Music Project
After listening to local young people who were passionate about music we soon discovered that they didn’t have access to musical instruments, especially instruments from around the world that represented their communities’ culture and heritage. After a successful application to South Yorkshire Community Foundation we co-created a programme that gave access and opportunities for young people to play and take part in musical performances on their doorsteps. We worked with local professional musicians to create workshops and performances that we took to communities, schools, festivals and events, giving young people and their families a chance to play instruments and uncover hidden talents and passions.
“The world music sessions hosted by Artful were an absolutely fantastic addition to the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s events programme, which celebrated local green spaces, encouraging positive use and enjoyment by a diverse range of communities living in the Eastwood and Canklow areas. Bringing music into outdoor spaces allowed communities to see their identity made visible in public space. This was particularly impactful for the Sudanese women and their young families living near Eldon Road.”
Owen from Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust
Kickstart Your Summer With Mr Motivator
Coming out of lockdown we saw the need for communities to have some fun and get active while also identifying the effects lockdown had on the most vulnerable in society.
In partnership with Mr Motivator, fitness instructor and motivational speaker, we created an online event via Zoom for schools and community groups to raise funds for Mr Motivator’s Charitable Trust, which raises important funds for homeless charities and provides beds for homeless people over the winter months. We also raised fund for a Rotherham charity, Shiloh, which offers support to adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Shiloh offers housing advice, education and training, creative activities, and support for health and addictions for people in Rotherham.
The Motivational Experience offered 20 minutes of movement to music followed by a motivational chat to help bodies and minds. These sessions were accessible to all regardless of age or fitness level and great for the whole family to take part in.
